Ohio men indicted in adoptive father rape case

The Associated Press

An adoptive father who's been accused of raping three boys in his care was indicted along with another man Friday on rape charges.

The 39-year-old adoptive father from Troy was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on three counts of rape of a child under 13 and four counts of complicity to commit rape of a child under 13. Patrick Rieder, 31, of Dayton, was indicted on four counts of rape of a child under 13.

The adoptive father is accused of bringing the boy to Rieder's home, where both men engaged in sexual conduct with the child, county prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said. The men were introduced in a chat room and eventually agreed to meet, Heck said.

The Associated Press is withholding the father's name to protect the child's identity.

All the counts carry a possible penalty of 10 years to life. Both men also were indicted with sexually violent predator specifications that would make the sentences 25 years to life on each count if the men are convicted.

Rieder's attorney didn't immediately return calls for comment Friday. Court records don't list an attorney for the adoptive father, who is in Miami County jail awaiting trial on 31 counts of rape involving three boys in his care.

The adoptive father was indicted in March in a Miami County on charges that he raped the three boys.

A third man, 29-year-old Jason Zwick, of Beavercreek, was indicted in March in Miami County on three counts of rape. Prosecutors say he raped a boy in meetings arranged through the adoptive father.

Both the adoptive father and Zwick have pleaded not guilty to the charges in Miami County. Zwick's lawyer hasn't returned messages for comment.

Officials have said that the Troy man adopted three children, including a 9-year-old girl, and was in the process of adopting a fourth child.

Authorities have said Zwick raped a boy at the adoptive father's home in Troy. They say the adoptive father took the boy Rieder is accused of raping to Rieder's Dayton home.

All three men were arrested after an undercover investigation.

Ohio authorities have said they're investigating a private adoption agency that helped place the children with the man. If Ohio Department of Job and Family Services investigators find serious procedural violations, the state could take actions including revoking the license of Action Inc. Several messages left at Action's office in Dayton haven't been returned.